Brand Language

0) One-Page Sales Language Cheat Sheet

Purpose: Put your core story and talk tracks within arm's reach of AEs/SDRs.

A. StoryBrand in 9 Lines (BrandScript)

• Character (Customer/ICP) wants: clear, tangible outcome
• External problem: obstacle they face
• Internal problem (frustration/feeling): why this matters emotionally
• Philosophical tension (should/ought): why it's just wrong they struggle
• Guide—Empathy line: "We understand how hard [internal problem] feels."
• Guide—Authority line: "We've helped [X ICPs] achieve [Y outcomes], backed by [proof]."
• Plan (3 steps): 1) low-friction start 2) collab/implementation 3) measurable outcome
• Call to Action (Direct): Book a demo / Start pilot / Get quote
• Success (and Avoiding Failure): "So you can [specific win] and never [risk/failure] again."

B. 30-Second Elevator Pitch

"We help [ICP] who struggle with [external + internal problem]. Unlike [status quo/alt], [Brand] [unique approach/differentiator] so you get [outcome metric] in [timeframe] without [typical trade-off]. Interested in a quick [CTA]?"

C. Top 5 Proof Points

1. Metric/ROI
2. Customer logo + one-line outcome
3. Time-to-value or deployment speed
4. Compliance/security credential
5. Analyst/reviewer quote or market stat

D. Objection Flips (3 lines each)

• "Too expensive." Reframe value → contrast with status quo costs → offer phased plan/pilot.
• "We have a solution." Acknowledge → wedge on gaps → land 1–2 differentiators → quick test.
• "No bandwidth." Position as time-saver → 3-step plan → white-glove support.
• "Security/Legal." Credentials → proof → pre-approved workflow (DPA/SOC2, etc.).

E. Do/Don't Language

• Do say: 3 must-use terms/phrases
• Avoid: 3 terms that confuse/overpromise/compliance risk

1) Full Brand Language Document — Outline & Structure

Intended Owner: Head of Sales (co-owned with Brand/PMM)

Cadence: Quarterly updates, monthly enablement refresh

Audience: AEs, SDRs, SEs, CS, Partners

1. Executive Summary (1 page)

What the brand promises, who it's for, how sales tells the story. Fill-ins: ICP(s), primary outcomes, strongest proof, current CTA.

2. Inputs & Evidence Library

What to ingest: Website pages, pitch decks, PRDs, roadmap notes, pricing, case studies, customer interviews, reviews (G2/Capterra), call recordings, win/loss, NPS verbatims, onboarding guides, security docs, partner sheets, competitor pages, analyst notes.

3. StoryBrand BrandScript (canonical)

• Character / Wants
• Problems: External / Internal / Philosophical
• Guide: Empathy + Authority (social proof, credentials)
• Plan: Process Plan (3 steps) + Agreement Plan (risk reducers: guarantees/SLAs)
• Calls to Action: Direct & Transitional (demo, pilot, ROI calc, guide)
• Success vs. Failure: Desired future + risks avoided
• Transformation: From [before] to [after]

4. Audience & Buying Committee

Primary ICP(s): industry, size, triggers, must-win use cases. Buying roles: Economic (CFO), Technical (IT/Sec), User (Ops), Champion (Director). Pain → Payoff mapping per role (JTBD lens).

5. Value Proposition & Differentiation

• Message Pillars (3): [Pillar] → Why it matters → Proof → How we express in sales
• Alt-vs-Us grid: Status quo, manual, competitor, in-house build.
• Category/Frame: Where we sit; strategic narrative shift (if any).

6. Voice, Tone & Vocabulary Guardrails

• Voice chart: Confident, pragmatic, respectful, plain-spoken
• Tone by situation: outbound, discovery, pricing, renewal, escalation
• Word bank: must-use terminology; Do/Don't list; compliance/legal redlines.

7. Core Messages & Modular Copy

• Elevator pitches: 15s / 30s / 60s / 120s
• Hero headline + subhead (website/sales deck title slide)
• Email/LI assets: 6 subject lines; 4 openers; 3 CTAs
• One-sentence "what we do"; one-paragraph "why now"

8. Talk Tracks by Stage

• Outbound opener & pattern interrupt
• Discovery: 6–8 questions (problem → impact → priority → next step)
• Demo narrative (StoryBrand arc): Set stakes → show plan → reveal proof → CTA
• Pricing story: Value math, options, risk reducers
• Mutual action plan script: clear steps, owners, dates

9. Objection Handling Matrix

Objection → Reframe → Proof → Question → CTA. Cover: price, timing, incumbent, security, "send info," integration, ROI skepticism.

10. Competitive Battlecards (1 page each)

Positioning angle; when they win/lose; landmines; traps; flips; talk track; proof; "If you hear X, say Y."

11. Proof Library

• Case study snapshot template: Situation → Action → Result (metric) → Quote
• Metrics bank: Verified stats; acceptable claims; sources
• Logos & permissions

12. Channel Adaptations

Email/LI, Website hero, Deck storyline, Events, Partner pitch. Copy blocks adapted from the same core BrandScript.

13. Legal/Compliance & Claims Hygiene

• Approved claims & disclaimers
• Forbidden phrases
• Security & privacy boilerplate

14. Enablement & Rollout

• Training plan: 60-min live session + call library tagging + reinforcement quiz
• Assets: one-pager, battlecards, talk tracks, snippet library, call openers
• How to request changes (form + SLA)

15. Measurement & Feedback

• Leading indicators: call talk-time balance, question depth, CTA rate
• Lagging indicators: stage conversion, cycle length, win rate, ACV
• Listening posts: Gong/Chorus tags, CS tickets, renewal notes, rep feedback loop

16. Governance

RACI: Sales (owner), PMM (co-owner), Legal (approver), CS/SE (consulted). Version control & cadence (quarterly full refresh; monthly micro-updates).

17. Appendix

Glossary, Acronyms, Boilerplate, Security/Compliance FAQ, References

2) Question Bank to Extract What You Need (by section)

Use these as interview prompts + doc-mining checklists to "pull from all resources regarding your brand."

Executive Summary

• What must a rep say in the first 20 seconds to earn more time?
• What one outcome is most credible and most valuable to the ICP right now?
• What's the single, clearest CTA we want every conversation to drive?

StoryBrand BrandScript

• Character/Wants: In the customer's words, what are they trying to achieve this quarter?
• External problem: What tangible blocker shows up in their calendar or KPIs?
• Internal problem: What makes this personally frustrating/embarrassing/risky?
• Philosophical: Why is it just wrong they still face this?
• Guide—Empathy: What line proves we "get it" (borrow from reviews/interviews)?
• Guide—Authority: What logos, metrics, credentials prove we can help?
• Plan (3 steps): What's the simplest path from "hello" to "value realized"?
• Agreement Plan: What risk reducers (SLA, pilot, guarantee, security) ease anxiety?
• CTA (Direct & Transitional): What do we ask now vs. offer to nurture?
• Success/Failure: Paint "life after" with a metric; what happens if they don't act?
• Transformation: From [before state] to [after state] in [timeframe].

Audience & Buying Committee

• Which 3 triggers start the buying journey (new KPI, audit, churn, tool change)?
• Who blocks deals and why? What do they need to hear/see specifically?
• For each role, what's the top fear, top hope, and the evidence they trust?

Value Proposition & Differentiation

• What can we credibly claim that competitors can't (or won't)?
• Where do we lose and why? How do we avoid those traps?
• What's the shortest value math (inputs → $/time saved → payback)?

Voice, Tone & Vocabulary

• Which words do prospects use that we should mirror?
• Which phrases trigger legal/compliance concerns?
• On a 1–5 scale, how technical should our language be per persona?

Core Messages & Modular Copy

• What 3 message pillars show up repeatedly in win stories?
• Which subject lines got the highest open/reply in past campaigns?
• What one-sentence description passes the "grandparent test"?

Talk Tracks

• Discovery: What 6 questions reliably reveal urgency & priority?
• Demo: What 3 scenes prove the outcome (not just features)?
• Pricing: Which options align to value tiers; what's the "good/better/best" story?
• Mutual Action Plan: What milestones and owners close deals faster?

Objections

• For each top objection: What's the root cause, the reframe, the proof, and the question that re-opens the path?
• What micro-offers (pilot, ROI calc, security packet) move stalled deals?

Competitive

• What do they say about us on calls? What weapons do we give reps to flip it?
• Which trap questions can we set to surface gaps without bashing?

Proof

• Which 3 customer stories best map to today's pipeline?
• Which metrics are audited/verified and which are directional only?

Channel Adaptations

• What's the hero headline we want everywhere for the next 90 days?
• Which snippets should be copy-pasted into sequences/LI and why?

Legal/Compliance

• What claims are approved verbatim? What disclaimers must accompany them?
• What security/Q&A answers should reps memorize?

Enablement, Measurement, Governance

• How will we train, reinforce, and measure message adoption?
• Who owns updates and how do reps submit improvements?

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